Introduction: Learn Basic Breakdancing Freezes and Footwork

The purpose of this Instructable is to walk you through the steps of performing basic breakdancing moves. Breakdancing is a lot of fun, great exercise, and is pretty impressive if you practice enough to make it look good. Anyone who is in pretty good shape can learn to breakdance…doesn’t matter if you’re skinny or buff, short or tall. And if you’re not in good shape, dancing is a great way to get there! Basic breakdancing takes only a little time to learn, but it takes a long time to make it look good and sharp. As long as you have a desire to dance, you’ll do great!

Step 1: Basic Footwork: Sixstep

Starting Position: “Crabwalk”

The starting position is on your hands and feet, butt lifted slightly off the floor, feet in front. Your palms should be touching the floor. As you get better, you can get your sixstep higher off the floor by having only your fingers and the first row of knuckles on your palm touching the floor. Eventually, once your hands get strong enough, you’ll be able to do a sixstep with only your fingertips touching the ground.

Step 1: Right leg hook

Hook your right leg around your left leg, placing the inside socket of your right knee up against the shin of your left leg.

Step 2: Left leg back

Move your left leg straight back, and you pick up your left arm.

Step 3: Right leg through

Slide your right leg underneath your body, between your right arm and left leg. Post your left hand to the side and in front for support.

Step 4: Left leg through

Slide your left leg underneath your body, between your right leg and left arm.

Step 5: Right leg forward

Move your right leg up, placing your right shin into the socket of your left knee.

Step 6: Left leg unhook, back to start

Unhook your left leg from around your right. You should be back in the start position, ready to do it again!

Don’t worry about doing the sixstep fast. Just work on doing each move separately, and speed will come with time. The more you focus on getting the basics right now, the sharper it will look later, and the faster you’ll be able to go.

Step 2: Babyfreeze

The babyfreeze is a relatively simple freeze to perform, and is easy to get into from a sixstep.

Starting position: Place palms flat on floor, feet on floor, back arched up.

Step 1: Place your right knee directly on top of your right elbow, near the end of the tricep muscle.

Step 2: Lean forward slightly, putting weight on your right arm, and using your left arm to balance.

Step 3: Extend your left leg behind you, using it to balance out your weight.

Step 3: Handglide Freeze

Handglide freeze is another basic freeze that is easy to get into from sixstep. It is also the position used to get into the more advanced power moves of windmills and (you guessed it) the handglide.

Starting Position: Place palms flat on floor, feet on floor, left hand fingers pointing to the left.

Step 1: Lower yourself onto your left arm, so your forearm is perpendicular to the floor, and your left bicep is parallel to the floor. Your left elbow should be “stabbed” into the left side of your abdomen muscles. Most of your weight will be on your left arm at this point.

Step 2: Lift up your legs, shifting them slightly to the left to balance your weight. Use your right arm for stability.

Step 3: Pick up your right arm, balancing only on your left arm. All of your weight will now be on your left arm. Keep your balance by shifting your legs farther to the left, and leaning your body slightly left.

Step 4: Chair Freeze

Chair freeze is another easy freeze to get into from sixstep. It is slightly more difficult than handglide just because of the awkward stab angle, but looks really good if you can make it crisp.

Starting position: Lay flat on the floor on your stomach, palms flat and close to your sides, elbows up.

Step 1: Keeping your arms stationary, flip over on top of your left arm, so your left elbow is stabbing into the side of your lower back, just below the hip bone but above the left buttcheek.

Step 2: Lean forward, rest your head on the floor, keeping your left foot flat on the floor.

Step 3: Lift your left leg on top of your right, kind of like how your dad might sit in a chair. Right foot flat on the ground, left foot resting on top of right knee, forming a 90 degree angle.

Step 5: Kip-up

A kip-up is mainly a gymnastics or martial arts move, but is an impressive and quick way to get off the floor.

Starting position: Lay flat on your back, legs up at a 90 degree angle, like you’re about to do a crunch. Hands are near your head.

Step 1: Roll back onto your upper back, bringing your knees toward your face. Touch your fingertips to the ground behind your head, ready to push off. Think of your body at this point as a spring, ready to unleash upward.

Step 2: Explode your legs at a 45 degree angle up and out, arching your back and pushing off with your hands at the same time.

Warning: You MUST explode with ALL of your energy outward and upward. If you hold back, you’ll only fall onto your back, probably knocking the wind out of you. Your mind thinks you’ll fall onto your back, and will force you to not go all out to avoid injuring yourself…you must manually override this instinct, and force yourself to go all out. You’ll make it, I promise.

Step 3: Land on your feet!


Conclusion: This Instructable has walked you through the steps to several basic breakdancing moves. As you practice these, keep in mind to go slow and get the techniques down, and build up speed with time. Simple moves done crisp look way better than advanced moves done sloppily. Great places to practice include gyms, tile floors, dance studios, and linoleum floors. Breakdancing is not easy, and takes A LOT of practice to get only a little bit better. If you love dancing and are dedicated to put in the time though, you’ll do great!